In search of New Dreams
by Sanity's Madness
Summary: Adia Marx is a 21 year old college dance student in New York City, with a Viper Queen for her mortal enemy. When said Viper wishes Adia away to the Underground, what's expected to happen? ..Forgive me. I've never done a summary before. Geez that stinks
1. Prologue: Nightmare

_A/N: Hiya! Welcome to my first fanfiction...ever. I don't really write these, I'm more of a roleplaying person. But hey, I got an idea that wouldn't leave me alone so here I am. I hope you guys actually like this, I fear I might not be any good. But we all have to start somewhere, right? By the way, if anyone does actually review this thing, as the story progresses I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts of what they think is going to happen! It's one of my favorite things to do, is guess what's happening next. Though since I **know** what's happening..I can't very well guess, can I? Hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth. Jim Henson does._

* * *

Crystal tears fell freely from hot, red eyes as a young woman sat on a once pristine white beach, which was now stained with a sickening crimson liquid. It appeared as if this young woman had been apart of some massive battle that resulted in bloodshed, and she was the only one to survive. She sat in the sand, with her arms around her knees as she hugged them close to her body, letting her tears mix with the warm thick blood on her body. It would seem as if she had committed some great crime, like multiple murders.

This beach however, was her nightmare. A dream she could never escape. It showed her faults, her failures, her sacrifices and losses. Nothing pleasant ever happened on this beach, as its only purpose was to spiral this young woman into a deep dark depression. Her light chocolate brown hair hung limply in front of her face as her long bangs shielded her view of the red beach, while the rest of her short hair was braided into a circlet around her head. Her cream skin was distorted with cuts and bruises, fractured bones and deep bite marks. Anything she had caused to herself, any stupid mistake she made, was evident on her body.

As a child when she made a mistake, even if in other's eyes it wasn't a mistake at all, she would bite herself. She thought if she were to punish herself she might remember to not do it again. Though now in her twenty-one years they had all but faded in the real world, here they still gushed fresh blood, and stung as if she had sunk her teeth into her arms only moments ago. The pain caused more tears to flow from her body, stinging the wounds as it continued to fall on her arms.

Lifting her head to look at the bloodshed that represented every bad thing she'd done, a small gasp escaped through her sobs as stone walls suddenly erupted out of the sand, forming a tall box around the woman. A loud, malicious laugh echoed off the walls as a woman appeared at the opening in the top, her bright lilac eyes gleaming devilishly down at the young woman, her ebony hair hanging from her left shoulder. Watching the young woman leap up to attempt and reach the top, the woman with ebony hair closed it shut, leaving her in utter darkness. Just as the brunette sank to the sand and let another sob escape, it all disappeared like sand running through an hourglass.


	2. Chapter 1: Daily Living

_A/N: I decided to post the prologue and the first chapter up together, as I had them both written down. Now, I'm quite the novice at writing first person. Though for the type of story I want to do, I felt this might be a better choice, but I did the nightmare in third person as it's what I'm more familiar with. I would gladly appreciate anyone's feedback on which style's better. :3 And I know it's not very..Labyrinth-y yet, but I didn't wanna just jump in there right away. I wanted to just introduce the main character and ones that will be important later on first. I know it's boring, but I hope you like it!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth, New York City, Juilliard, Edward Cullen, or a motorcycle. When I'm older I wish to own a motorcycle though._

Burying myself deeper into the cocoon of thick plush blankets I had on my bed, an irritable growl escaped my lips as sunlight streamed in through normally closed windows. I was not one for early mornings or sunshine, especially not after another nightmare that exhausted me upon waking. Silently cursing my early rising room mate for drawing back my curtains and opening the windows, I tried to make my irritation prominent to her as I tossed a boot lying next to my bed against the far wall, making a loud hollow noise.  
Grinning to myself as I heard protests from the kitchen, I attempted to fall back into a deep slumber. Sophia, my roommate, had a different idea however. She stormed into my room and ripped the blankets forcefully off my body, where I then attempted to kick her square in the jaw. Unfortunately I missed.

"You need to get up _sometime_ Adia!" She scolded me like a child, before going to make a quick breakfast. Hissing at her from my bed, I reluctantly crawled off of it and into the warm soothing water of a shower. Letting the water wash away my early morning attitude, I gave myself a speedy wash to hopefully make up for the time I spent in my bed. Turning the warm and comforting water off, I slid my hand out from behind the shower curtain to find my favorite fluffy black towel on the counter.

Judging by this first peace offering, Sophia was also going to help me get dressed as quickly as possible to apologize for making me cranky this morning. She knew full well that if she allowed me to leave this apartment grouchy and without her, that she wouldn't be getting dinner tonight unless she remembered to pick it up herself.

Wrapping the towel around myself, I hurried out of the bathroom and started grabbing clothing from my closest. Slipping into some form fitting dark jeans, I began to pull the denim closed to button it when Sophia ran in, hair dryer at the ready. Plugging it into the wall, I watched her begin to dry my light chocolate hair so it wouldn't be as difficult to get the rest of my clothing on. Pulling on black boots that came about three quarters of the way up my shin, I silently thanked Sophia who ran back out of the room. "Hurry up Adia!" She shouted at me.

Grumbling a response, I pulled on my "unmentionables" as Sophia would call them, and abandoned the black towel as it fell to the ground. Pulling on a plain white sleeve v-neck, I rushed out of the room with a duffle bag slung over my shoulder. Today I decided to just leave my hair down. Pulling a leather jacket off the back of a kitchen chair, I grabbed a biker helmet off the counter as well as my keys and wallet.  
"Sophia! If you want a ride, you _better _be down in the next thirty seconds!" I yelled into the vicinity of her room before bolting out of the apartment.

* * *

Ten minutes, some NYC traffic, and a few illegal maneuvers later and I was dropping Sophia off at her work. By now she and I were on good terms again, as she even ran out of the small coffee shop to give me a cup of said coffee. Thanking her I watched as she ran back inside, and I once again sped off on my sleek, black motorcycle. Now without a terrified best friend clinging to my waist, I had time to think to myself before I had to go to school and face my mortal enemy.

Jessica King.

Stereotypical pretty girl, teacher's favorite, mean spirited.. well just think of the head cheerleader. Now remove the blonde hair, got that out? Good, now insert an unhealthy obsession with something other than Edward Cullen or anything after the 90s. That would pretty much sum up Jessica King, who loathes me with a passion. Why? I'm not sure. She's part of a clique in Juilliard of kids who ride along without any struggles because they have pure talent, and wealthy families. Then there's me, little Adia Marx with the dead mother who actually has to work to be able to dance well. The one they all love to hate, and I don't know why.

All I know is Jessica, or "Jess" as her friends call her (only the boyfriends get to call her "Jessie"), lives to make my life miserable. She even haunts my dreams. Her shining lilac eyes mocking me as she laughs.. no, no I will not go there!

Sighing to myself and shaking my head, I pulled into the parking lot of Juilliard and looked up at the massive building. Then again, this was New York City. Everything is massive. Pulling off my helmet and stuffing it into my duffle bag, I took a quick sip of coffee and began making my way toward my classroom. I was not ready to face having to dance all day next to Jessica, but I was never ready. So I reluctantly went off and began just another normal day in my life.

Why couldn't Jessica let it remain normal?


	3. Chapter 2: Murderous Intentions

_A/N: Ok first things first - I apologize for not updating sooner. My computer crashed, I had to get a new one, and I overall just had a bit of writers block for Jessica VS. Adia. However - here it is! And obnoxiously long! Which is if it is too long for anyone, I apologize for that as well. I just felt breaking it up would be strange - I liked how it went from place to place in this chapter. However, I added some Labyrinth in a Labyrinth fic! Yay! Not much, but it's a start, right? By the way, don't be afraid to tell me if I stink. (but if you do - please tell me why. It'd be nice to know how to improve.) Well anyway, I talk too much in these, don't I? On with the Disclaimer - and then the chapter!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Labyrinth or it's characters, The Cure or any of their songs, David Bowie, Queen, Beatles, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Michael Jackson or his song Smooth Criminal, Darth Vader, Twilight, Jennifer Connelly, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Harry Potter, Disney Channel, Electric Light Orchestra __  
__(..I mention too many things.)_

* * *

Anger was rising up from my stomach up into my chest, making it harder to breathe than it already was. It was five thirty in the afternoon and we were in our last dance class for the day. We were practicing Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal dance routine for fun. However the entire class save for Jessica and myself were sitting on the sidelines, watching our personal competition. I watched her as her face was quickly turning red, a sure sign of anger. This made me grin devilishly despite the rising tension so thick; no one seemed to hear the obnoxiously loud boom box in the corner.

As the song was dwindling down, which Jessica and I only knew from our choreographed dance moves, I began to make my way toward the windows. Here thick velvet curtains hung to try and help prevent the cold autumn air from entering the room. Continuing to move with the rhythm of the song, just before it ended I flashed my hand out toward the curtains and grabbed a handful. A few of the boys sitting on the sidelines cheered loudly and held onto the curtain rod as I leaned backward, and Jessica leaned forward against me, almost mimicking Michael Jackson's famous move form the video. Though we don't look nearly as cool seeing as how we were both holding onto a curtain, the basic effect was achieved.

"Ladies…Ladies! LADIES!" Our teacher shouted furiously, his frustration showing. I just now realized that he had been shouting at us for a good minute or so now.

Looking at our teacher, Jessica stood straight and tried to look angelic while I stumbled back onto my feet.

"Jessica!" Typical. No one ever said my name first. "Adia! If you two pull that one more time, I will be forced to suspend you two from dancing for a week! This, "competition" as the other students are calling it, is getting way out of hand! That's the fourth time in two days! You can't keep this up!" He huffed at us.

Looking at Jessica, we shared a look of murderous intentions before looking back at the teacher.

"Mr. Clark, I apologize for MY behavior, but Adia started it all! She practically forced me! She said that-"Jessica's silky lie was cut off by an exasperated sigh.

"Save your lies for another teacher Jessica. We're in college now, not third grade. Please stop victimizing yourself and trying to twist the truth into something it's clearly not. You're just as much at fault as Adia is." Mr. Clark told her coldly.

He was the only teacher I liked. He was the only one who wasn't constantly fooled by Jessica and her doe-eyed stares, pouting lips, and tearful victim stories.

He had bleached blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Mr. Clark was originally from "Frisco" as he called it. He was only twenty-seven, and I'll tell you a secret. He's "secretly" dating Sophia. He says he likes her for her tamed fiery red hair, and meadow grass eyes. I know it's a lie, because Sophia struggles with her hair every morning. And when she can't tame it, she's forced to put it in a frizzy braid. Her eyes weren't the color of "meadow grass", rather an earthy green that was almost brown. You see, being poetic was Mr. Clark's (aka Milo's) way of lying. What he really liked about Sophia was when she put a cooking pot on her head and wrapped a cape around herself, and ran around pretending to be Darth Vader.

Looking over at Jessica who was just livid, I couldn't help but chuckle. Milo sighed and waved us all out of the classroom. Taking my duffle bag in to the bathroom I changed out of my sweats back into my leather and denim. When I walked out of the bathroom in to what I expected to be an abandoned classroom, someone else was there with me.  
Heh, like that totally shocked you. But surprise! It's NOT Jessica with a butcher knife! It was just Milo gathering his papers and dinosaur age boom box.

Looking up at me, he gave me a silent nod in greeting and returned to his paper work. Nodding in return, I began to cross the large wooden dance floor to the opposite side of the room where the door was. It looked like any other dance room, with a large space for dancing and a wall that was entirely mirrors. There was a small heater in the corner making a horrendous noise, and a small AC unit in the window that was currently turned off. Who wants that stupid thing running in a New York autumn? Exactly. No one.

Grasping the knob on the door, I threw it open and stepped out into the freezing hallway. However I turned my head as I heard Milo speaking from behind me.

"Ah... Adia. Please come back here for a moment. And close that door on your way back in..." He muttered to himself, trailing off slightly as he continued to stare unhappily at his paperwork.

Sighing to myself, I walked back to where he was, closing the door behind me. "Yes, Mr. Clark?" I asked politely.

"I want to talk to you about your behavior; oh don't look at me that way. I talked with Jessica about this too. Adia it's irresponsible to have such a strong hatred toward Jessica. I know she's a royal pain in the ass, but that's absolutely no reason why you should go out of your way to be one right back. I want you to try and be a little nicer to Jessica, all right? Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." He finished his little speech, and turned back to his important looking papers.

Sighing to myself, I muttered something irritably under my breath before giving him a monotone "yes sir".

"Good girl. Now, I'm going to be taking Sophia out on a date so don't bother going to her work to pick her up, I'll do that. We'll be out till about midnight. Is that all right with you?" He asked, bright gray eyes turning to me. Hope and love shined behind his irises, and I had to turn away.

"Yeah, that's fine Milo. Just don't get all gushy with me, ok? I hate those looks you give me. Save them for your girlfriend." I said bitterly before storming out of the classroom.

Growling under my breath as I had to run to my motorcycle to escape as much rain as possible, I leaped onto the leather seat and shoved the keys angrily into the ignition. Starting the engine, I rode off quickly to keep the rain off of me. I knew that this bitterly cold rain would last for an hour, maybe two at the most if I was lucky before it turned to snow. It was late November, where the chances of rain were slim to none. Though I do have to admit I preferred rain over snow.

Now, if I felt like using my brain I would have gone straight home and curled up in my nice warm bed that Sophia so rudely pulled me from this morning. But I didn't feel like returning home for some reason. So I started off toward a small, cozy, out-of-the-way bookshop I knew of, and visited often.

Pulling up to the curb, I parked my bike and tossed the helmet in my bag once I was inside. Drenched and cold, I walked into the comforting warmth of the bookshop. It smelled of old parchment, peppermint, chocolate and coffee. The man who owned the store had a lovely wife that loved to bake things to sell to those who came in. If you asked, she'd even go upstairs to make you some coffee. She was a lovely woman, as was her husband. He however tried to keep things professional, but with many he couldn't keep up the front.

Making my way to the back, I smiled at the woman in greeting as she waved to me from the stairs. She apparently had seen me come in cold and wet and went to make me some coffee. She had a habit of doing that when I was around.

Coming to the secluded children's section, I buried myself deep into a warm beanbag chair. The front of the store was warm and inviting with polished mahogany bookshelves and deep, burgundy, plush carpet that was still soft and squishy to walk on. The children's section however, had been hand painted by Mrs. Leary (the older woman) long ago. It was a mural of a gorgeous fairytale land. It has rolling green hills, a large never-ending forest with creatures lurking. The ruins of an old Elvin temple made up the base of a large fountain in the middle of a sparkling fruit orchard. Just beyond it was a large castle made of tan stones, looking majestic and so un-castle-like at the same time. Behind me were two bookshelves almost forming a wall that cut this section off from the rest. It was bursting with children's books, some falling out, and others strewn over the sparkling white carpet that was only in this portion of the store. To bridge the gap from red to white, there was a colorful child's rug places where the carpets met.

Across from me, the wall was the actual fountain, with an antique mirror hanging in the middle. The glass was misty and spotted, as if it were actually alive. I however, knew it was simply old. The frame was a gorgeous golden one, which over time had worn out and now looks as if it belonged in the Elvin ruins. Mrs. Leary said she wanted the mirror there, so every child that came could see her friends that lived just beyond the paint in the magical world she had so lovingly put onto the blank and bleak walls. I loved the woman to death, but sometimes she seemed a little... strange. I never understood her reasons for the mirrors, but I appreciated it. Here I could practice my dance routines without having to worry about Jessica.

Looking up at the kind woman with the bright green eyes, I smiled warmly at her. "Thank you, Mrs. Leary. For the coffee I mean. I really needed something warm." I told her softly, while taking the cup from her.

"But of course Adia darling. It's but a small thing I would do for you. You're like my own daughter." Her bright smile lifted my spirits slightly as she went off to make some cookies or something.

Sighing contently to myself, I continued to drink my warm, chocolate, caffeinated drink for a good hour. By then I was almost dry, and had had a fresh cookie or two. (Ok, maybe three. But that woman is so convincing.) Placing my empty mug on a small table next to my chair, I sifted through the books around me. Finding nothing of interest, I leaned backwards in the chair so my palms were flat against the ground and my head was almost touching the carpet. Scanning the bookshelf, a small book that seemed to have been hastily put away caught my eye. It also seemed like whoever had it before attempted to hide it. Frowning, I pulled the small red leather book from the shelf. Sitting back straight, I ran my fingers over the cover.

_Labyrinth._

The title was written in beautiful gold ink, though it was beginning to fade from being loved over the years. Lightly tracing my fingers over the letters, I opened it and began to flick through a few pages. Skimming over it I didn't absorb much, all I knew was that what I was reading captivated me. It was slightly puzzling that I could never remember what I had just read, skipping paragraphs or not. When I finally drew myself out of the book I realized I had only gotten to about page twenty, though it seemed I had been sitting there for hours. Frowning, I stood from my chair with the mug now in my hand. Perhaps Mrs. Leary could get me some more; I was beginning to feel another chill.

Walking over to the time worn wooden counter I placed the book on it while placing my elbows on the wood and leaning over. Looking about, I noticed Mrs. Leary in the back, her eyes wide and staring at the book, instead of me. I saw fear in her eyes, but it disappeared all too quickly for me to be sure it was even really there. Smiling brightly, she walked over to me.

"Adia, darling. Do you need something?" She asked, her warm smile never faltering and her bright eyes jovial.

"Hmm? Oh yes, I was simply wondering if you could be so kind as to get me another cup of coffee. Leather and denim don't dry quickly – I'm still a little cold." I admitted sheepishly. It was kind of silly to keep the jacket on, but I rarely took it off. Even in the sweltering heat of summer, I simply opted for a leather jacket that only came halfway down my torso, with quarter length sleeves. Leather was kind of like my thing. Personally though, I think it was something subconscious I picked up from having a bike.

"Oh, but of course Adia darling. Would you like another cookie?" She asked, her caring expression faltering for a moment as she spied the book again. Her smile quickly jumped back onto her face however.

"Oh... uhm... sure." I told her as a blush tinted my cheeks. "I really shouldn't – but you're the best baker I know of Mrs. Leary."

I graciously accepted the cookie as she handed it to me, and went over to the coffee pot she had brought downstairs and began to fill up my mug.

"So, that book you have there..." She began, though I noticed she started to trail off.

"Hmm? Oh this? Yeah it's cool I guess. Why, do you like it?" I asked her off-handedly, she was probably about to go on about how she liked so and so, and why she liked the plot line of this particular book.

"Oh, you could say that darling. I'm... glad you enjoy it." Her tone faltered slightly, though I brushed it off. It was just a book, maybe one she was attached to.

"Are you thinking of getting it today?" Odd, she didn't normally press me for business.

"No, I'm just reading it to pass the time. Sophia's with Milo and I don't want to return to an empty apartment." I answered swiftly. Nodding in thanks as she slid the cup over to me, I could have sworn I heard a sigh of relief.

"Oh I understand completely. Returning to an empty home is no fun at all." Smiling at her understanding, I took a large sip off the warm chocolate concoction. I continued talking pleasantly with the older woman for a good ten minutes before I heard the door open behind me.

The bell above it rang loudly, and the storm that was previously muted by the doors was heard full force for the briefest of moments. Not really paying any attention, since it was simply another customer, I continued my conversation as I could hear the distinct sound of lovebirds twittering to each other. Mentally gagging, I took another sip of the coffee, trying to ignore the empty feeling in the pit of my chest.

The all too familiar gasp and heavy diva stomp coming from behind me caught my attention however. I tensed my shoulders, as I knew Jessica was storming up behind me. I fully expected her to lash out at me for something stupid, and immediately start yelling. Which trust me, she did. But what shocked me was the first thing she did. She snatched the little red book from the counter, something that I didn't see coming at all. Jessica wasn't typically a book person. Glancing over my shoulder as casual as I could, I tried to ignore the pained expression I saw cross Mrs. Leary's face.

Her lilac eyes locked with my chocolate ones, as she gave me a furious hiss. Rolling my eyes, I completely turned around so my back was too the older woman, and my elbows were propped on the counter. "What's got your panties in a twist this time Jessica?" I drawled, my tone not at all impressed, or even threatened.

"You are to keep your disgusting hands off this book! Do you understand me, Filth?" She snarled, her voice protective and poisonous. She truly looked like a viper, about to bite my face off and inject her poison into what remained of my blood.

Rolling my eyes once more, I simply shrugged. I could care less; it was just a stupid book. If she cared about it so much, why didn't she just buy it?

"Whatever, it's just a book anyway Jessica. I was just reading it to pass the time." I told her as calmly as I could, fighting the anger that boiled within me.

I watched as Colby Slater walked up and wrapped his tanned arms around Jessica. He attended Juilliard with us, but was a drama student. He was tall, capping at about six foot one, and had piercing sea green eyes. His light brown hair hung carelessly around his face, mixing with his tan complexion and his sea green eyes like ocean water and sand. He was known as one of the prettier boys in the drama department, one of the most chivalrous. Many also idolized him for his amazing skill at acting, and gentleman way with women. He was also known to be Jessica King's boyfriend of two months.

What many failed to remember, was he had been Adia Marx's boyfriend of eighteen months.

Adia had been madly in love with him, easily deceived by his outwardly gentleman attitude, and beautiful eyes. Though in the field which he was idolized in, ended up to be his downfall. Colby Slater was nothing but a vile, disgusting, pig-headed man with dirty, dark intentions and high expectations that all his demands would be met.

Adia had been crushed by this true personality he possessed, but was even more crushed when he became Jessica's boyfriend. Many a night she had spent crying to Sophia, she knew that he had left her because she refused to give into him. She knew she was better off without him. But she just couldn't get over him. He had been the first man she had actually loved. Sure, there had been puppy dog crushes here and there, but he was the only one she had fallen madly in love with.

And he ripped out her heart.

My heart.

Baring my teeth slightly at the arrogant smirk he gave me, I focused my attention on Jessica. I opened my mouth to say something else, but before I could make a noise her perfectly manicured hand came and slapped me across the face.

The harsh sound of flesh on flesh made me wince, and I had to grab the counter to steady myself. That hit left me reeling; I was too dizzy to stand on my own. A large, red mark was quickly growing on my face as the skin burned and prickled.  
Glaring up at her, I opened my mouth to curse her out, but she beat me to it, again.

Another slap came across my face, this time flinging my body to the other side. What the hell was wrong with this chick? Glaring up at her from underneath my hair, I hissed threateningly at her. I silently dared her to do it again. Instead, tears formed in her eyes as she held the book to her chest. "You are never to read this! Do you understand me? He's _mine_." She hissed threateningly at me.

I stared at her in bewilderment for at least five minutes. Then the gears in my head began to move once more, as they overcame the shock from being hit so many times.

Labyrinth. _Labyrinth._

Where had I heard that before? I knew it was a common word, especially in Greek mythology. But I knew that wasn't it. Staring at the absolutely furious, and yet somehow crushed look on Jessica's face, it clicked.

Labyrinth. That was the name of some cheesy 1980s Jim Henson movie. All I knew was David Bowie was the star of it, and I think his opposite was Jennifer Connelly, but I wasn't sure. What I _did_ know however, was that _Labyrinth_ was what Jessica was obsessed with. That and David Bowie. She could care less about Johnny Depp, or Orlando Bloom. She didn't give Twilight a second glance, and her mother wouldn't let her read or watch Harry Potter. She was too old for Disney Channel, so she claimed, and she didn't easily fall for the dorkier guys.

Her unhealthy obsession was Labyrinth. I never saw the movie, and I heard one of Bowie's songs once, when I walked in on Jessica practicing a dance. Even then I only heard about thirty seconds of it before she caught me and quickly turned it off. She refuses to let me know anything about it, because she fears I'd "take it away from her". Please. I could care less. The music I liked was more, Beatles and Queen. I also liked Michael Jackson, Madonna Depeche Mode, and The Cure. Electric Light Orchestra wasn't too bad either. Really, the only song from David I heard all the way through was "Under Pressure", the joint song he did with Queen. And let's face facts; unless you already like David to begin with, it's hard to focus on him with Freddie singing most of the song.

So putting all of these facts together, in the end I decided it must have been some rare printed transcript or something, and being the psycho fangirl she was, had to have it. So, giving her one last glare, I grabbed my coffee and headed back to the children's section. Or, I tried at least.

"Oh no you don't! No, no, no, that's my special place! I dance to my iPod in front of that mirror while reading this book! Get out!" She ordered sharply.

Turning on my heel, I put my hand on my hip. "Really Jessica? We're going to be childish now? We're not in school; can't I just sit and drink my coffee in peace?" Exasperation was clear in my voice as I gave an exhausted sigh. I wasn't ready to deal with this right now.

"No, no you can't! Get out Adia – leave the entire store!" She barked at me, her eyes furious.

"Jessica, now, please let's be reasonable. Adia was only-"Mrs. Leary attempted to come to my defense, but Jessica the raging storm of eternal time-of-the-month attitude, cut her off.

"Don't you even try to defend her you bag of bones! Go back to what you were doing before your lungs give out grandma," Jessica bitterly hissed at Mrs. Leary.

How rude! Mrs. Leary was only in her late forties to early fifties! Glaring at Jessica, I stepped toward her.

"You will leave her alone Jessica. And you will stop walking around barking at everyone as if you own the world." I growled fiercely, showing her my sharp white teeth.

"Aww, I'm sorry Adia. Did I offend your only friend?" She sneered. "And honey, I'll let you in on a little secret – I _do_ own the world." She hissed in my ear, now standing face to face with me. Well, not quite. I was a good five inches taller than her, but that was beside the point.

A deep growl rumbled in the pit of my chest, making its way up to emanate from my throat. I was beginning to shake with anger, but I would not lash out at Jessica. I would not hit her as she hit me. I would be the good one here; I would not let myself be the one to blame again.

Cringing at her malicious laughter, her fingertips rested lightly on my shoulder as she danced around to stand behind me. I felt the palms of her hands press into the small of my back, trying to get me to move.

"Come now Adia, I've made my point clear. This is my space – and you are to now leave." She chided, her voice dripping with sugary kindness that didn't exist in her devil form.

"No." My voice came out cold and threatening, and I stood my ground. A small smirk played across my face as I heard her huff angrily behind me.

"Fine, then you know what, Adia?" She asked me, the question sounding more like a song.

"What, Jessica?" I cringed again as I felt her breath on my ear, as her face was now hovering over my shoulder.

"I wish the Goblin King would come and take you away... right now." She cooed in my ear. The whole room fell silent as thunder and lighting continued to pelt the city. Glancing over at Mrs. Leary, I saw this furious and utterly terrified look come across her face. She was standing perfectly still, trying not to scream.

After a few moments of this ridiculous silence, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Jessica, you're not serious, are you? God I hope you didn't get it from that silly book. That has to be the most ridiculous and stupid thing I have ever heard!" I told her, laughing loudly. Looking at Mrs. Leary again, I saw that she was horribly confused. Turning on my heel, I stood face to face with Jessica once more. Her expression was the definition of livid. She looked like she could kill someone. Had she actually believed it would work?

"What? I specifically said King for a reason! He was - It was supposed to – oh no matter! Perhaps I was too quiet that time." That malicious, venomous smirk crossed her face again as she looked up at me.

"Adia, I wish the goblins would come-"

"Enough." A cold, stern voice commanded from behind the counter. Mrs. Leary looked livid as she stared at Jessica, who was attempting to "curse" me once more.

"Excuse me? I believe you have no say-"

"I do believe I have a say Jessica. This is my shop, that is my book. And you are to leave my shop, and put back my book. You are to leave, and never come back. And if I ever hear that you tried to use those words again – I will personally find you, and make sure you never say another word again." Mrs. Leary hissed viciously at Jessica, and gave her an ice-cold glare.  
I quietly watched with silent laughter as Jessica looked at the woman, bewildered anyone had spoken to her like that. Glaring at Mrs. Leary, she turned back to me.

"Watch your back, Marx. You may think you can dance, and you may think you have friends. But you'll soon find out that I'm the only one who can dance, and that they'll soon kick you out of Juilliard. And when you need your friends the most – you'll find them gone, because they never really liked you in the first place. They just felt sorry for you. Sorry for your pathetic life, and your two left feet." With that, the Viper Queen left with her boyfriend, never once looking back.

I however, stood there. I was livid. I hated how she could get to me like that, I hated it. She was wrong! Wasn't she? I mean, if I really was that bad she wouldn't seek me out, right? And my friends... no matter how few, liked me for me. Didn't they?

Growling to myself, I walked over to the mirror. Setting my coffee mug on the small table in the corner, I stared at my reflection. My face was still pink from Jessica's physical outburst, and I looked beaten. Ready to kill someone, but beaten. I wanted to scream, I wanted to tear out my hair, I wanted to just curl in a corner and cry my heart out. Tugging at my hair, my dark eyes stared back at me as my anger rose. The world around me was turning dark as all I saw was my reflection in the mirror.

Music began to grow from behind me it sounded, egging me on. I could hear the fierce pounding of a bass drum, and it was in perfect synch with my heartbeat. I heard trumpets, and angry saxophones. My head was reeling as pan flutes and violins joined in, fueling my anger somehow.

Looking back into the mirror, tears had sprung into my eyes. Without thinking, I grabbed my mug and slammed it into the wall next to the mirror. The mug shattered into tiny pieces, and the remaining liquid stained the pristine white carpet. The mug's ceramic pieces cut my flesh, and blood mixed with coffee. This one act of violence, shattered the world my anger had wrapped around me, and the music fell to pieces like the broken mug.

As I was thrust into the real world again, I stumbled as the bright light seemed to throw me off balance. Using the wall to stabilize myself, I suddenly found Mrs. Leary under my arm. Looking down at the mug and the carpet and my arms, my eyes widened in pain and shock. Tears began to build in my eyes again from embarrassment and the pain that cuts were causing me.

"Oh… oh my god. I'm so sorry Mrs. Leary. I didn't mean to make such a mess." I began to blabber, ignoring her protests. "I'll, I'll buy you a new mug! I'll clean the carpet personally! I'm so sorry Ms. Leary I'm so-"

Holding her fingers up to my lips, she shushed me with a determined look on her face. "It can't be bothered now dear. I'll clean it up, don't you worry. I don't blame you – I would have done much worse to Jessica if it was me."

This shut me up, as I stared at the kind woman in surprise. There was this ugly look of anger and hurt on her face, as if she was going to cause Jessica the most pain possible in the slowest way possible. Deciding to not take a risk and anger her further, I followed her behind the counter as she cleaned the blood off of my hands and forearms and bound it tightly in bandages. The cuts were few, but deep.

Unfortunately there was a large blood stain in the bottom left corner of my nice white shirt. Then again, I had left coffee and blood stains on Mrs. Leary's nice white carpet.  
I sat there in silence for a few moments, composing myself. Mrs. Leary let me, but standing nearby if I tried to stand up again. My anger session typically left me weak and dizzy, and I had been known to faint on more than one occasion.

Taking a deep breath, I stood and quietly thanked Mrs. Leary for binding my arm. Walking over into the children's section, I grabbed the red leather bound book and walked over to the counter. Placing it and some money for the coffee and cookies on the counter, I pulled my duffle bag back onto my shoulder.

"Oh…take the money Adia. Don't worry about it this time." She told me with a warm smile.

Returning the smile with a small one of my own, my voice came out soft when I tried to talk to her. "Thank you, for everything Mrs. Leary. Jessica can be... so infuriating sometimes. Here's your book... I figured you might want to hide it in the back if it's that important," I told her slowly, my words now coming out slurred. I felt as if I could collapse any second and just fall into a deep, peaceful slumber.

"Don't worry about it Adia, anything for you. And don't worry about the carpet, I'll clean it up." She reassured me. Picking up the book gingerly, she silently slid the red book under the counter. Smiling at her weakly, I turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Leary."

"Oh, enough with the formalities Adia. Call me Sarah." She told me with a bright smile, brushing strays of her luscious dark brown hair out of her eyes. Due to age, there were a few gray strands but she still looked lovely. I smiled back.

"All right, Sarah. I'll see you soon." I told her, before braving the storm and hurriedly running to my bike. Getting on it, I made for home.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up to my apartment building and into a small parking garage. Really I could have walked, but then how in the world would I get my bike back? Pulling out the key, I slowly made my way to the elevator and rode it up to the thirteenth floor. Standing in the elevator, I rested my head against the cold metal walls while waiting through its slow ascent. Closing my eyes, a shaky sigh escaped my throat as my body threatened to start sobbing. I couldn't deal with that right now, so I held it back as best I could. My head was pounding from the bookstore, the rain, Jessica, and my entire day. I wasn't going to let Jessica be the cause of my tears and frustration.

She'd already done that too many times to count.

Slowly sliding out of the elevator, I walked into our two-bedroom apartment and headed straight for my room. I didn't even bother turning on the kitchen and living room lights. Slipping into my own room, I tossed the duffle bag aside and flipped the light switch. Paper lanterns that hung from the ceiling burst with life as the light bulbs glowed from beneath lime green paper.  
Glancing around my room, I collapsed onto my bed. It was a black platform bed, with black blankets and pillows. The bed sheets were lime green, and I had a small square pillow around here somewhere that matched them. I wasn't sure where though.

Pulling off my black boots, I tossed them onto the dark wooden floor before peeling off my leather jacket and tossing it aside as well. Beneath my feet was a plush green rug that I loved to lay on while reading. The rest of my room was mostly green and black furniture. I had large black drawers and wardrobes, a modern looking black desk, with an armless lime green chair. I had long black drawers placed behind my bed that served as a headboard and bedside tables.

Glancing at my black and silver laptop, I briefly considered turning it on but decided against it. Looking around, I realized I didn't really have anything to do. Lying down into the soft mattress, I put my arms behind my head and closed my chocolate colored eyes. However, the minute my eyelids closed scenes from the day's events with Jessica flashed through my mind. Sitting upright, I tried to ignore the cold sweat I had developed. Taking in deep breaths, I glared at the empty air. God I hated her!

Growling to myself, I grabbed a CD case from a bookshelf, and ripped out the CD that was in it. Shoving it into my stereo, I cranked it up as loud as I could while grabbing towels and underwear as I prepared to take a shower. Storming out of the room, I made sure to take a lot of my anger out on slamming the door as hard as I could.

Listening to music, particularly ones with lyrics that represented my emotions toward Jessica at the time, while taking a hot shower seemed to relieve my frustration.

Storming into the bathroom I ripped off my clothing and climbed into the shower. Trying to ignore the lilac and white paint scheme Sophia chose for the bathroom, I closed the curtains and drenched myself in steaming hot water while listening to some of my favorite music. Sliding around in the shower, I danced to myself to try and calm my nerves despite the very cramped room I had to work with. Listening to the songs from _The Cure's Greatest Hits_ album on shuffle, it seemed to skip ones that I didn't care for _that_ much. It went from _Lovesong_, to Just _Like Heaven_. After that it went to _Lovecats_, and _Close to Me_. As the fourth song drew to a close, I began to whisper the next lyrics of a song that represented my feelings toward Jessica at the moment. Or well, close enough. Everything except the whole romantic interest part. So therefore, I tended to skip around some verses while singing.

_Everything you do is irresistible_  
_Everything you do is simply kissable_  
_Why can't I be you? (Why can't I be you?)_

_Everything you do is simply delicate_  
_Everything you do is quite angelic_  
_Why can't I be you? (Why can't I be you?)_

_Everything you do is simply dreamy_  
_Everything you do is quite delicious_  
_Why can't I be you? (Why can't I be you?)_  
_Why can't I be you?_  
_Why... Why can't I be you? (Why can't I be you?)_  
_Why can't I be you?_

_Simply elegant..._

Letting out a defeated sigh, a strangled sob came out instead. Placing my forehead against the cool glass of the shower doors, I let the sticky tears roll down my face, masked by the shower's warm water. Why did she do this to me? Why did she make me feel so useless, to the point I actually wanted to be her just to get away from this living hell she's placed me into?

Letting another strangled sob escape my lips, I did my best to compose myself before finishing my shower. Once I felt I had calmed down, I turned off the water and simply let the steam encircle me for a while. When I came out of my dream like trance, I slipped out of the shower into an even more steam filled bathroom. Taking large, deep breaths to try and get some oxygen in with the steam, I coughed heavily as the thick steamed attempted to cloud my lungs like a fog. Grabbing my white towel, I wrapped it around my dripping body and opened the bathroom door.

As I slipped out, steam came pouring into the apartment after me, enveloping the kitchen and living area. Walking toward my door, it was more like a dance as Friday I'm in Love blasted from the stereo behind a partially open door. Tilting my head slightly, I stared curiously at the door. Didn't I slam that shut with all my might? Maybe it just didn't click closed, and blew open when I let the steam roll in.

Shrugging lightly, I walked into my room and practically slid over the wooden floor with my wet feet. Smiling at my stupidity, I made my way to the closet and began sifting through the leather and denim.

Grabbing a pair of cotton pajamas, I froze when my music went dead in the middle of the song. I stood there for a few moments, my breathing still as I listened for any sign of life. Slowly looking over my shoulder, I saw a tall man with frost blonde hair standing over my stereo. His leather clad hand was resting on the power button.

When he saw my startled, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look on my face, a wolfish grin spread across his face as he let out an amused chuckle.

"Sorry I'm late."


End file.
